Heroic mother dog rescues abandoned newborn baby

Sign up for our newsletter and get stories like this and more from DogHeirs delivered straight to your inbox!

The mothering instinct in dogs can be so strong that there have been numerous cases of amazing dogs rescuing children in distress.

Such was the case when an 8-year-old dog with a newborn litter of puppies, saved an abandoned baby in a shanty town in La Plata, Argentina in 2008.

When a 14-year old girl gave birth to a girl, she apparently panicked and abandoned the newborn in a field surrounded by rubbish and wooden boxes.

Luckily, a dog named La China found the baby. La China gently picked up the baby girl and carry her 160 feet (50 metres) back to her kennel, where she placed the infant safely among her puppies.

The next morning, when she howled in response to the baby’s crying, La China’s guardian, Fabio Anze went to see what was the matter. The farmer found the baby covered with a rag among the puppies. He took the 8lb 13 oz baby to hospital. The infant was slightly bruised and had a few minor cuts but was otherwise all right.

The teenage mother later came forward and claimed the baby, who hospital staff named Esperanza, meaning “Hope”. The young girl had been afraid of her parents’ possible reaction, but ended up receiving help from welfare agencies to help her raise the baby while continuing her high school studies.

La China became an instant celebrity and was given awards and accolades for her heroic action. The attention from all the people initially distressed the shy mother dog, but eventually she was left in peace to tend to her puppies.

You may also like

Felix Omondi an 11-year-old student with Mkombozi in a compound on the outskirts of Nairobi, Monday, May 9, 2005. The nursing dog foraging for food saved the life of a baby girl abandoned in a forest. Mkombozi's story is legendary in Nairobi, Kenya, if not the world. The African dog currently resides at the Kenya SPCA where she spends her retirement sleeping in a soft bed and teaching school children about animal welfare. It’s...

José Jiménez, a player for Argentina's lower league Bella Vista soccer team, outraged fans and people around the world when he picked up a dog who wandered on the field by his neck and hurled him into a metal fence. During a match on June 9, the stray dog had found his way onto the field and lay down on the grass. Instead of leaving the matter to be handled by security personnel, Jiménez grabbed...

Dogs who are rescued never forget the humans who saved them. We are highlighting heartwarming stories of dogs saved from dire situations and then cherished as invaluable family members. Did you rescue your dog? If you'd like to share your rescue story, sign up to become a member of DogHeirs and share your story here on DogHeirs.com. Make sure you add photos and TAG your photos and articles 'Rescued dogs are family'. You can also...

A farm dog was found cuddling an abandoned newborn baby, under a bridge, in the town of Winkongo in Ghana over the weekend. When her dog had not returned at night, her worried owner lead a rigorous search for the missing dog. The owner found her dog close to her farm lying by a two-week old baby's side, sheltering the newborn infant from harm.Madam Rosemary Azure, Talensi-Nabdam District Director of Health, told the Ghana News...

Photos: stock image of street dog Two sisters, 9 and 3 years old, were saved from a child predator by their dog came to the rescue. The girls mother told police she had been trying to rehome their mixed-breed dog and the alleged abuser had come to their home to pick up the dog. She gave the dog to the man who returned shortly after and returned the dog. Later that day, the two girls...